Valuing the Environment : Economics for a Sustainable Future

by Glover, David

• ISBN13: 9781552504765
• ISBN10: 155250476X
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2010-05-31
• Publisher: Stylus Pub Llc

Summary

Everyone in developing countries depend on the environment for their livelihoods'from farmland or forests, wetlands or coastal areas. For these people, the environment is much more than a source of recreation'it is the basis of the economy. But poorly functioning markets, incomplete property rights, and misguided policies can drive people's behavior in ways that are rational in the short term or from an individual's point of view, but harmful to the environment and future generations. Economics has much to offer in understanding and influencing environmental behavior. It also provides tools for decision makers faced with difficult choices. How can we compare the value of environmental benefits to the costs of safeguarding them? How can we assess the impacts of environmental action (or inaction) on the poor? How should we share the costs of environmental improvements? This book shows how researchers from IDRC's four regional environmental economics networks have dealt with questions like these in a wide variety of situations in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. It brings together insights from more than 15 years of research and assesses their impact on policy and the research community. It concludes by looking at the future of environmental economics in the developing world.